Mayor, MLA Beri, kin go into self-quarantine; dist tally 53

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 22

With five more cases in the district testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, the tally has risen to 53.

18th patient discharged, Nawanshahr Covid-free

Nawanshahr: Nawanshahr district was declared Covid-19 free as the district’s 18th case was discharged on Wednesday. Nawanshahr, the first district of the state which pushed the panic button after the death of Baba Baldev Singh of Pathlawa village died of Covid on March 18, has now emerged as a core fighter to combat the pandemic. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old grandson of the 70-year-old Nawanshar elderly has been discharged from the Civil Hospital. The administration gave him a warm send off as a mark of success of the concerted efforts in braving the ordeal.

With the Mayor’s OSD testing positive in the city, it’s for the first time that an MC official has figured in the list of Covid positive people in the district.

While the news has rattled the Municipal Corporation, the Mayor has now asked all councillors and MC employees who came in contact with him to step forward for testing.

Mayor Jagdish Raja, MLA Rajinder Beri and his wife Uma Beri, along with other members of their families, had gone into 14-day self-quarantine.

Those who tested positive include the Mayor’s OSD (45), who met the Mayor as well as several councillors and officials, including MLA Rajinder Beri and his wife Uma Beri.

The other four persons who tested positive yesterday include two contacts of the Raja Garden mediaperson (a 56-year-old man and another 42-year-old man) and two contacts of the Neelamahal man (55-year-old mother and 20-year-old sister) who tested positive several days ago.

With the Mayor’s 45-year-old OSD being a resident of the Central Town locality, the area was also sealed on Tuesday after the latter tested positive. Notably, while four of the five persons were tested positive through contact tracing, the OSD was the only person (among those testing positive on Tuesday) who was tested during a random sampling that was carried out to test 30 MC officials, including the Mayor.

Of the 30 persons, only one sample tested positive and the remaining tested negative. Mayor Jagdish Raja said: “A member of the MC testing positive is indeed quite worrisome. I have had a word but so far there is no record of him coming in contact with any of those previously tested positive in the district. He has also denied having met Mitha Bazaar postive Congressman Deepak Sharma.”

Other councillors to be tested

The Mayor said: “I and 29 other persons from the MC, including 22 councillors, have tested negative for Covid. However, we have appealed other councillors to get themselves tested for the cause of public safety. As many as 13 councillors have already volunteered. I believe 30 to 40 more shall be willing soon.” There are a total of 80 councillors in the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar.

While previously MLA Bawa Henry and his father had placed themselves in self-quarantine for 14 days after a Congress leader tested positive, none of them tested positive. MLA Sushil Rinku has previously denied that he was tested for Covid-19. Several councillors who were previously tested had also come out negative.

Meanwhile, a home-quarantine sticker was also pasted outside the residence of the Mayor by the Health Department after his OSD tested positive last evening.